Family Chiropractic

Are chiropractic adjustments safe during pregnancy Without a doubt!  In fact, it’s a very smart idea to get adjusted while you are pregnant.

Why is it a good idea to get adjusted? Obviously, your body is going through quite a lot of changes, and these alterations will continue as the pregnancy progresses. A subtle change is your body’s increased production of the hormone elastin. This hormone is designed to relax the tendons in the pelvis. This easing gives the pelvis more flexibility during the birthing process to make delivering the baby easier.

This process, despite the fact that its function is to assist the mother during labor, can produce much discomfort in the months leading up to the birth. As the pregnancy advances, more elastin is released, which allows the pelvis to become increasingly more unstable. In combination with the increased size of the baby and uterus, and you have the recipe for severe low back pain. As a chiropractor I see many pregnant women in my practice for a variety of symptoms, but as a rule it is for their low back pain.

One side benefit of having your spine and pelvis checked by a chiropractor regularly during your pregnancy is that it has been shown to actually decrease labor time. Why do chiropractic adjustments help? Simply put, if the pelvis is where it needs to be, the muscles contracting during the labor process are more efficient and won’t have to strain against misaligned joints.

Chiropractic is not only safe and beneficial in relieving the low back pain associated with pregnancy, but other symptoms like heartburn, nausea, swelling, and so on. In addition, should the need arise, a trained chiropractor can assist a mother who has a breached baby. This is done by using the Webster Technique, a low force technique to manipulate the uterus and get the baby into the proper presentation for delivery. A simple Google search on the Webster Technique can give you much more information.

To summarize: Chiropractic is both beneficial and safe in helping to relieve many of the discomforts of pregnancy. To any pregnant woman reading this, I advise you to please go to see your chiropractor. Chiropractic care can make you feel a lot more comfortable during your pregnancy, and make your labor process easier.